Kate Thwaites (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Skills and Training. Today we're celebrating National TAFE Day, a time to highlight the achievements and importance of TAFE and our VET sector more broadly. How is the Albanese Labor government helping to put TAFE at the heart of Australia's VET sector?

Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Skills and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

After all of that, I'm very happy to, firstly, thank the member for Jagajaga for this important question. Indeed, it is National TAFE Day, a day to celebrate and acknowledge the achievements of TAFE students, teachers, trainers and support staff; a day to recognise the vital contribution TAFE makes to this country.

When the government announced 180,000 fee-free TAFE and VET places last year at the Jobs and Skills Summit, it was largely TAFE that we turned to, to make sure we delivered on this initiative. This commitment to help deliver skills in demand to students, to workers, to businesses and to our economy has been delivered and exceeded, with, to date, 215,000 Australians enrolling in fee-free courses. But we will not stop there. The Albanese government will make a further significant investment in the VET sector to ensure 300,000 fee-free places, starting from 2024.

This is not just to achieve one goal, but this is the means to achieve other critical national goals. If we are to deliver the changes required to meet net zero emissions targets by 2050, we need skills. If we're to maximise the benefits that come from the National Reconstruction Fund—enlarging manufacturing, standing on our own two feet—we need skills. If we're going to ensure that we provide care and education to preschool kids, we need skills. If we're to supply workers to a growing carer economy, we need skills. To deliver to the IT sector, we need skills. If we're to realise our ambitions under the AUKUS arrangement, we need skills.

We'll continue to invest in TAFE and work to ensure that the VET sector is seen as equally important as higher education as a pathway to the labour market. Frankly, historically this area has not been recognised to the level it deserves. The fact is that nine out of every 10 future jobs come from tertiary sectors. Almost half of those come from the VET sector, and TAFE, of course, plays a magnificent role in that regard.

We're negotiating a five-year National Skills Agreement with state and territory governments. Through those negotiations, which will be finalised prior to the end of this year, we want to make sure we provide the reforms to the VET sector that are needed, to make sure that it's responsive to a fast-changing economy, to make sure that the skills are provided to deliver to the sectors that I've just mentioned. We need to do that, as I say, by introducing reforms and creating centres of excellence where we have greater collaboration between universities and the VET sector. Minister Clare and I are working on those. We're making sure we have opportunities for higher apprenticeships. There's so much more to be done. It is National TAFE Day, and I congratulate everyone involved. (Time expired)

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.